If you plan to work out in the middle of the pandemic, you should make sure to follow proper health protocols. Even if you are fully vaccinated, the emergence of new variants is more infectious than the original virus.
But you can still look forward to working out at home or a gym that follows health protocols. And if you feel you are not getting the most out of your exercise routines, you can follow the following tips to benefit from your workouts.
Have Specific Goals to Reach
The first thing you need to do is to have specific goals that you should aim for. Instead of aiming to become fitter, you can set a concrete goal of jogging around the neighborhood on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Keeping a record of how you progress is also easier if you but a fitness tracker. You can also use a smartphone app to take note of your workout. When you track your progress, it’ll show you what you already achieved. It can even motivate you when you see your progress so far.
Vary Your Exercises
You should also keep your exercise regimen interesting by varying your exercises. You can start with simple pushups, pull-ups, and planks. If you have weights at home, you can also include weight training in your regimen. Jogging or biking in your neighborhood is another option.
Going outside is also good for you since it allows you to get some fresh air. You’ll also get your daily dose of vitamin D from the sun. Exercising outside is also good for your mental health, which you should take care of, especially in the middle of a pandemic.
Aside from regular exercises, you can also try video games that require you to move around. If you have those new gaming consoles, you can play exercise games that simulate different sports, such as tennis, bowling, and soccer.
Increase Workout Intensity
At the start, you may perform a few repetitions of each routine. The key to reaping the benefits of an exercise regimen is to be consistent. When you are consistent, you’ll note that the workouts are getting easier. This means you are progressing. And as you progress, you should also increase the intensity of your workouts.
Increasing means adding more repetitions to each routine or increasing the duration of your cardio sessions. You can also increase the weights you are lifting or increase the pace of the exercises. As you increase the intensity, you’ll notice that you’ll sweat more compared to previous weeks. In this instance, a sweat headband can be useful to keep your sweat away from your face. This allows you to focus on your exercise routines until you finish each set.
Remain Hydrated
When you sweat, you lose water in your body. And if you do not do something about it, you’ll end up being dehydrated. And if you are dehydrated with exercising, you’ll notice that the workouts will become more challenging, and your body will take more time to recover. It may even result in other complications.
This highlights the importance of keeping yourself hydrated when you work out. You need to replenish the fluids you lose when you sweat to ensure your body functions properly. Proper hydration is necessary before you start working out. You can also create a hydration plan when you exercise to replace the fluids you lose through sweat. When you eat recovery snacks, you should also drink something.
Eat a Healthy Diet
When you exercise, you need to have a healthy diet. Specifically, you should consume food that’s rich in protein. Protein is important if you want to build your muscles since it repairs muscle fiber and promotes growth in your muscle. Your diet should include eggs, chicken, spinach, nuts, salmon, and yogurt. These food items are rich in protein.
Aside from protein-rich food, you should also include a protein-digesting supplement in your diet. The supplement or enzyme can help your body use the protein in the food you eat since the body can only digest around 10 percent of the food.
Rest After Each Workout
Another thing that you should do to make the most out of your exercise regimen is to rest after each session. While you want your muscles to develop or your weight to go down, it is still important for your body to recover after each workout session. Recovery allows you to avoid overexerting yourself and prevent injuries. So, you shouldn’t overlook the importance of having some downtime in between your workout sessions.
Exercising during the pandemic can be challenging, but you can make the most out of your workouts by following some simple tips.
